2016-2017 Chief Residents

I am so overjoyed to be one of the chief residents for the Internal Medicine Residency Program at Penn for 2016-2017!

I am from Palmyra, New Jersey, which is just across the Tacony-Palmyra Bridge from Philly. I went to undergrad at Loyola University in Baltimore, Maryland where I was a Division I long-distance swimmer in addition to being a Biology major. I then attended medical school at Rutgers University - Robert Wood Johnson Medical School (which has changed names more times than I can even remember since my time there!). I also did a Ph.D in Molecular Biology at Princeton University during which I studied control of the cell cycle and quiescence.

I moved to Philly in 2011 when my husband, Chris, was starting his Internal Medicine residency in the Primary Care Program here at Penn while I was still a medical student. We have lived in the Fishtown neighborhood for the last 5 years but have recently bought a new home just a mile away in Northern Liberties (NoLibs) neighborhood with the love of our lives, Molly, who is a 4 year-old Beagle-Bassett Hound mix.

When I am not at the hospital, I am usually watching Food Network (favorite shows are Pioneer Woman and Barefoot Contessa), searching out gluten free food at the amazing restaurants in Philly because I have celiac disease (favorites are Modo Mio and Loco Pez in Fishtown, North 3rd and Bardot in NoLibs, Morgan’s Pier and La Peg on the Delaware River, and Alma de Cuba in Center City) or relaxing on the roof deck at my house with a view of the city’s skyline. Chris and I consider ourselves seasoned cruisers (we’re embarrassingly close to becoming Diamond Members of Royal Caribbean), so most of my vacations away from Philadelphia include cruises to places such as Puerto Rico, Saint Martin, Dominica, or anywhere that is warm and has a beautiful beach nearby.

In terms of the future, I am applying for a fellowship in Palliative Care and Hospice and hope to be involved in both clinical practice as well as research relating to communication at the end-of-life.

I grew up in Marshfield, Massachusetts, a small town on the coast about 30 minutes south of Boston. My wife is from the same town, and we first met in elementary school. I went to Boston University where I studied Biomedical Engineering, rowed crew, and was president of the kung fu club. I then moved to New Orleans and attended medical school at Tulane. There I played guitar in a medical school band named “Dirty Netter,” which is titled after the version of Netter Anatomy that you use during anatomy lab dissections.

I moved to Philadelphia in 2013 to start residency at Penn. Since moving here, my wife and I have rescued a dog, Luke Skywalker, who is a full grown mutt and looks like a golden retriever puppy. We’ve also bought a row house in the Graduate Hospital neighborhood of Philadelphia, and I spend a lot of my free time doing minor construction projects at the house.

I enjoy spending my other free time biking and running on the Schuylkill River trail, which continues for over 26 miles, past Valley Forge National Historic Park. I also like hanging out with my co-residents at the many amazing restaurants and bars throughout the city. I’ve enjoyed exploring the city to find hole-in-the-wall restaurants throughout the diverse neighborhoods of Philadelphia. I also like exploring the parks around the city, visiting the beautiful historic towns in the area, and going to the beach in southern New Jersey.

Throughout residency, I’ve built so many great relationships with mentors in research and medical education, and I continue to collaborate with them on projects related to my interests in critical care, quality improvement, and clinical reasoning. I will be applying to fellowships in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine this year.

I'm looking forward to an exciting year alongside Jason and Erin as one of our program's chief residents!

I am originally from Bloomfield Hills, MI, and went to Duke University for undergrad where I majored in Biomedical Engineering. I returned to the mid-west to attend medical school at the University of Michigan - go blue! I moved to Philadelphia in June 2013 to start residency here at Penn, and have LOVED living here. There are so many great restaurants, running and hiking trails, concerts, and neighborhoods to explore - and we are lucky to have a lot of historical sites to see!

In my free time, I try to be outdoors as much as possible and particularly enjoy playing tennis (I have an awesome doubles partner -- my identical twin sister!), running, biking, and skiing. I am an avid Duke basketball fan, and I am also working on becoming a better cook - to be determined how that goes! In the future, I am applying for a fellowship in Infectious Disease, and plan to specialize in transplant ID, and continue to have an active role in medical education.